Data center discussion deserves a bigger room
Microsoft has purchased about 600 acres in Woodward, Iowa, for a planned data center campus. The project still requires approval of a development agreement and site plan, while critics say the city improperly limited a public discussion to Woodward residents despite regional impacts involving water, electricity, roads and traffic.
Microsoft officials announced at a Woodward City Council community meeting that the company had closed on the purchase of roughly 600 acres in the Woodward Eco Business Park for a data center campus. Mayor Todd Folkerts said the development agreement and site plan must still be approved by the council before the project can proceed.
The meeting drew criticism after city officials required attendees to show proof of a Woodward address, excluding nearby residents and a Dallas County resident interested in the project. Randy Evans, executive director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, argued that the data center's effects on water, electricity, power lines, roads, stormwater, noise and traffic will extend beyond city limits. Microsoft representatives said a closed-loop cooling system would protect the city's water supply and that wholesale electricity purchases would shield residential customers from higher rates.